Mine Forever More
by Aubrie1234
Summary: Alex's and Artemis' life after their adventure, discovering more about their love along the way. St. Patrick's Day shenanigans, meeting the family, Christmas, birthdays, and more are on the path ahead of them. Be careful with who you love... (Set in Stockholm Syndrome AU, Sequel, series of connected oneshots. Warnings will be put in chapters, some with M-rating, but mostly T)
1. St Patrick's Day

Mine Forever More

By: Aubrie1234

* * *

 **Here's the first chapter of the series! It takes place soon after Stockholm Syndrome and clears up a few things:**

 **Their adventure happened just a few days after Artemis' birthday.**

 **Artemis' family was surprisingly welcome to Alex.**

 **Holly is surprisingly calm about the whole thing, but is awkward around Alex. This story changes that.**

 **There are also a few other things, many of which I don't remember right now. Also, as for the ages, it took a bit of thinking. And yes, those are their _real_ birthdays. I checked, except I tweaked the years a little for the story. Also, besides the languages he already knows, Alex is learning Gaelic! The translations will be at the bottom, and since I am using Google Translate, don't blame me, except for one.**

 ** _Sídhe_ I got from a wonderful Artemis Fowl fanfic called _Idiot Savant_. It's by Nyghtvision and is awfully funny, so check it out! It involves Artemis having to deal with his father who wants quality time. This is when Artemis' memory was wiped. You _know_ things will not go well with that mentioning...**

 **And if you can get the Looney Tunes reference, you get a virtual cookie! I also had to do some research on flower meanings, so if I get them wrong, blame Wikipedia!**

 **WARNINGS: Mentions of sex, slight cussing.**

* * *

"...You're serious?"

"Of course." Artemis nodded. After their feelings had been admitted and the adventure over, Alex had tried settling down with the Irishman. Yassen was off travelling the world, K-Unit not there but keeping in touch, allowing Artemis to give Alex a true introduction to his fairy friends. All had _not_ been going well, especially not with Holly. She still harbored feelings for the raven-haired man, after all, which made it awkward between her and Alex quite a bit. But now Artemis had gotten an idea.

"Art, it's bad enough between me and Holly-"

"Holly and I." Artemis corrected. Alex continued on, ignoring him.

"-so I wish you didn't drag your other friends into this too." What Alex was talking about was the annual St. Patrick's Day party the fairies had. Wanting to help Alex get to know his friends better, Artemis had promised to host the party at his house. The only requests were for them to keep the drinking to a minimum, don't break anything, and to **UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES** touch Alex unless it was a handshake.

"They're completely fine with it." Artemis assured him, leaning against the wood-and-stone island. The two were in the kitchen, the Englishman putting his greatly superior cooking skills to the test by making them sandwiches.

"Arty, you're trying too _hard_." Alex said, finishing up and giving Artemis his sandwich. The younger's parents were out with the twins, taking them to a zoo in England for the day. The bodyguards had tried to stick around and keep an eye on Artemis (since the last adventure hadn't been too long ago), but the man had convinced them to help the fairies start setting the party up. It would be in a few days, right on St. Patrick's Day itself, and everyone was invited. That meant not only Foaly, Mulch, and their friends, but also most of the LEP as well and even Artemis' family.

"What do you mean?" The Irishman narrowed his eyes. The Englishman opposite him was unaffected.

"What I mean is that, though your parents have accepted me and the twins (despite being almost 8) haven't completely grasped the concept of homosexuality, you want your fairy friends to accept me too. But this is _really_ over the line, you're not letting me ease into this."

"...Well, there's no turning back now. I can't go back on my promise to them. And as it is, I thought you had already eased into it."

"I'm a _spy_ , not some sort of supernatural-believing genius. You convinced yourself that fairies were real long ago and have had many encounters with them. _I_ haven't and I'm still trying to get used to it." Artemis gave a genuine apologetic smile.

"I am sorry for this, Alex. If I had known-"

"It's fine." his lover waved him off, "Are you luck-proofing this place?"

"Yes. You will find green horseshoes at every doorway and shamrocks hanging from the walls. I am taking every precaution so that our combined luck doesn't interfere."

"Good. I don't want to ruin this for your friends. I'm also going to wear some luck, just in case. Are you?"

"I already have my lucky charm right here." Artemis leaned over to give Alex a kiss on the cheek. The blond smiled widely with a faint blush.

"Thanks, but I'm serious. You're going to wear a symbol of luck to the party, right?"

"Of course." From his suit the younger took out two flowers. One Alex recognized as a Gardenia, but the other was completely foreign to him. It was long and covered in outward-facing green cups, similar to Lavender, but there were _way_ more cups.

"The white is a Gardenia, as you very well know." Artemis explained, "It represents good luck, sweet and secret love, and joy. The other is what is known as a Bells of Ireland. It just represents luck. I have more of these in my room, if you would like to wear one." The elder took the Bells of Ireland.

"Why haven't I seen this one before?"

"It's only native to Turkey, Syria, and the Caucasus. There are actually tiny white flowers inside of each of the cups, which are leaves. It grows fast and can grow up to 1 metre, branching out. It's a member of the mint family, domestic, self-seeding, and needs full sun and regular water to survive. It doesn't do well in hot, humid climates." Alex closed his eyes as he sniffed the flower.

"Good thing Ireland isn't hot and humid, huh? Though, I can't say the same about a certain lover of mine..." At that, Artemis blushed scarlet.

"We have _not_ lost our virginity yet, so if you keep that up, think of what the consequences will be!"

" _Tá a fhios agam_." Alex had wanted to be able to keep up with Artemis, so he had asked the heir to give him Gaelic lessons.

"Do _not_ use my language against me." Artemis warned, "For I am more skilled at it and can insult you in the blink of an eye. _Cosúil le anois, mar shampla_."

" _S_ _ídhe_."

"Now you're just spouting off words you know." Alex grinned.

"What better way to annoy you, my good sir?" As Artemis' blush slowly faded, he continued to speak.

"Do you still wish to come to the party? If not, I could take you out somewhere-"

"No, I think I'd actually like to see where this goes." This time Alex leaned forward to peck Artemis' nose, "I bet it's going to be interesting."

* * *

As the day of the party slowly came closer, Alex helped Artemis set up the necessary supplies. Streamers, CD music, and so on. However, there was one thing Alex had done that Artemis was completely against.

"NO." Alex felt déjà vu at the word, remembering the effort he and Yassen had put in to dressing Artemis as a girl. Speaking of the ex-assassin, he had stopped by, hearing about the party, and also at Alex's request. Opposite him was an impassive Butler, a fuming Artemis, and a gentle Alex.

"Art, you know for yourself that Yassen can take care of them." Alex pleaded, "It's just for one day and night."

"I know you want to help my parents and allow Juliet to rest from her duties, but ABSOLUTELY NOT."

"Artemis, _please_ -"

" **NO**."

"Allow me to speak for a second." Yassen asked. When he was met with silence, he continued, "You know me from how we traveled together, Artemis. I would keep them safe as if they were my own children. I am not going to leave them alone because they are so young and I will not go anywhere near a bar. And, as Alex said, it is for only one day and night." Artemis scrutinized him for a minute.

"...Butler? What do you think?"

"I would say yes, sir, as he has changed, but seeing as you have known him longer..." Artemis gave a sigh and nodded.

"Alright. You may take care of Myles and Beckett. _However_ ," the younger man's eyes narrowed into slits of ice, "if I hear _one word_ of them being in danger or getting hurt, I will have Butler hunt you down to do what he wishes with you. _Understood_?"

"Of course." Yassen nodded, "I will return tomorrow at 6 A.M. sharp." He then left and Alex sighed in relief at the disaster averted. The blond was still being glared at by his lover, though, which he wanted to quickly resolve.

"Hey, if someone shoots at the twins, Yassen will take a bullet for them. He did for me!" That didn't stop the glaring, only intensified it. It was going to be a _long_ day...

* * *

"Look," Alex sighed as he and Artemis got ready for bed, "if something happens, don't blame Yassen. It was my idea to have him as the twins' babysitter for the day and night, seeing as this might all get out of control." He ran his hand down the other's back, touching the bullet scars. They had been lucky there was no serious damage, and yet the scars hurt Alex more than anything. Artemis sighed, half in pleasure and half in exasperation.

"I know, but I can't help it. They're my brothers, it's my job to worry about and protect them. If something happened to them, I could never forgive myself." Alex made a noise of agreement as moved his hands to Artemis' hips. He was still the taller one, allowing him to place his head on the younger's. Both were only in their pajama bottoms and could feel the other's scars.

"...They haven't seen your scars, have they?"

"Only Butler and Holly. Thank you for saving my life, Alex."

"Unless you have surgery, you'll live with those scars for the rest of your life. You're lucky your foot didn't gain a scar as well."

"I wouldn't get rid of them for the world." Artemis tilted his head back so he could see Alex's face, if only somewhat, "It not only proves the existence of human magic, it also shows how much you love me. There's no way I would change them, time-travel be d*mned." He felt the rumbles of Alex's chest as he chuckled.

"There's the genius I love." Alex adjusted position so they could kiss. It was short and sweet, as they were both tired and had a long day ahead of them, "Myles and Beckett will be fine. Myles is the smart one and can call if something happens, and Beckett's strong and instinctual. He'll be able to sense if something bad is going to happen and warn them in time. I've helped take care of the boys as much as you have, so I'm just as worried."

"And yet you place your trust in an ex-assassin."

"Would you have preferred K-Unit? They were my first choice, but they're out on a mission and I have no one else to turn to." Artemis smiled.

"I understand. I only hope that nothing bad should happen. Now, let's get to bed."

"Right." Alex nodded and tugged Artemis with him as he fell onto the bed. In response, the younger gave him a light slap. He only laughed and soon enough, both were deep asleep.

* * *

They were both up at 5 and had taken turns showering and getting dressed. They were just getting Myles and Beckett up when the doorbell rang. The men scrambled to get the boys awake and, after a few minutes, Yassen entered. He gazed down at the two still-sleepy boys, then up at the two older, bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed ones. He raised an eyebrow.

"We were just getting them up when you rang." Alex explained with a shrug.

"Now boys," Artemis knelt down to his brothers, "this is Mr. Yassen. He's a friend of Alex's and will be taking care of you today and tonight, okay? And please try to stay out of trouble." The twins were silent, staring up at the Russian like he was a weird stranger, which he technically was.

"Hello, little ones." Yassen crouched to meet them, "I promise to make this the best day of your lives if you obey one simple rule of mine, alright?" The twins nodded, "I need you both to do as I say, no matter what. I am going to be responsible for you two, so I do not wish for you to get hurt or worse."

"Okay." the nearly 8-year-olds answered in unison.

"Are you Russian?" Beckett suddenly asked as Artemis told Myles what time Yassen should bring them back, "You sound like you aren't used to English and you have a funny accent." The man was surprised at the perceptiveness, nodding.

"That is right, I am Russian."

"You aren't one of the mean Russians that kidnapped Daddy once, are you?" Yassen noted to question Artemis about what Beckett asked later, but shook his head.

"No, I have never done such a thing." Beckett gave a big smile.

"That's great! Where are we going first?!" The ex-assassin smiled back.

"We will see." Beckett dragged Myles along as they followed Yassen outside, who gave the older boys a wink. Alex and Artemis smiled, the Irishman giving a sigh of relief and running a hand through his hair.

"I was afraid that would end badly." he sighed, "I told Myles that we would expect them back at about 7 A.M. tomorrow, more or less."

"Good, because your fairy friends are supposed to start arriving at 6:30 and we've got only 15 minutes." Alex said, seeing the time on the twins' alarm clock. The younger boys went to public school but were given the day off for celebration.

"Let's get going then!" Grabbing the elder's arm, Artemis dragged him downstairs. They had food and drinks to set up, after all!

* * *

The first to arrive were, of course, Holly, Foaly, and Mulch. There were introductions between family and friends and as the dwarf gravitated towards the food, Holly went after him to make sure he didn't each too much and to avoid Alex for the time being. The Englishman greeted the centaur warmly, shaking hands.

"So you're the one that helped Holly and Butler find Artemis and I. Nice to meet you. I'm Alex." Artemis rolled his eyes as his lover stroked Foaly's ego. The centaur puffed up with pride.

"Yes, well, I didn't do _everything_. I'm Foaly, by the way. Nice to meet the Mud Man who has Artemis caught in a web." The Irishman flushed, glaring.

"I believe formalities are _done_ , gentlemen." he growled, "And no spider metaphors or love comments about Alex and I, understand?"

"Sure, Fowl." Having brought his laptop with him, he began using it, where Artemis Senior came over, interested. They started to talk about technological things, so most tuned them out.

"Really?" Alex commented, raising an eyebrow. Artemis huffed, crossing his arms.

"I have every right to guard you, both from comments and the like."

"Arty, I wasn't offended or embarrassed."

" _You_ weren't the one compared to a _fly_."

"No, I was the spider, but at least I play with my food before I eat it." Artemis blushed again.

"Not now, Rider, we have guests to greet and a party to hold." Artemis stalked away as Alex shrugged, following.

* * *

It was later in the day, around noon, that everyone had arrived and Alex found himself with Holly. Artemis was no where to be seen, though Alex had an inkling the sly, younger man had something to do with it.

"So..."

"So." The air was heavy and awkward between them. Holly sighed, deciding to get this over with.

"I'm not mad or jealous, surprisingly." she admitted, "I thought I loved Artemis, but now you're making him happy. I guess that's really I all wanted. Not his love but his happiness and I mixed those two things up."

"I'm not mad or jealous, either. I could see that you wanted the best for Artemis, so I took it all in stride. If you wanted him, then I would step aside, as much as it would hurt."

"Thanks, Alex. That...means a lot. But I don't think I would want to take him from you, not after what happened at the end there..."

"Yeah. I'm still not sure what came over me, how my magic got in control. I know Foaly said Artemis and I seem to have a closer tie to magic than most other people, but I hadn't ever experienced it before."

"HAD NEVER!" Alex and Holly ignored Artemis' shout. He had the ability to somehow hear what they were saying, even with the loud party going on, and immediately tried to correct it. It happened quite often, actually.

"Grammar police..." the human muttered as the fairy giggled. She then went on, saying what she had meant to say before the sharp-eared Artemis had shouted.

"Anyway, maybe you have. Arty told me you've been through a lot, so maybe your magic saved your life."

"Then I guess that's how my family's been so lucky." Alex sighed, "My dad and uncle survived as long as they did not through luck but through magic. So weird."

"Not really, if you think about it." Holly said, playing with her hair, "Quite a few Mud Men today have special powers because they have stronger ties to their magic than others. Maybe even Yassen is one of those people."

"Well, it would explain how he survived Air Force One. ...I'm glad we managed to sort this all out, Holly. Friends?" he held out his hand. With a smile she took it.

"Friends." Their hands shook and they continued to party with the rest of the group.

* * *

Far away, over in the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), Beckett was having the time of his life as the car screeched down the road. Myles, in the backseat with him, had a deathgrip on his seat and prevented Beckett from looking out the window, where bullets were flying. Yassen, in the front seat, wondered how they got into this mess and how he would escape Artemis' wrath. It had been just his luck to be recognized by MI6 _and_ rogue ex-Scorpia agents was was now being chased with the boys he was supposed to be protecting in the backseat, one cheering while the other was trying not to pee his pants.

* * *

Artemis had never been the social sort, so he stayed on the outside of the party. When it got too loud, he left, going outside. He found a few drunk fairies sleeping their drunkeness off in the garden, a few throwing up into the fountain. Wrinkling his nose, he noted to ask Juliet to clean it up later, as he was sure he would be sending Butler after Yassen, one way or another. Spotting a bench in a secluded part of the garden, he sat down and waited. In seconds Alex joined him. Both were wearing their flowers, Alex a Gardenia and Artemis a Bells of Ireland.

"Knew I was following you?" Artemis nodded.

"Of course. How are you liking the party?"

"Good, trying not to get hammered and such."

"Afraid you'll do something you'll regret?"

"Either that or alcohol poisoning. Good thing the fairies have such high resistance to it."

"Yes, that way they have a higher chance of not dying if they drink too much. I don't wish to have dead fairies on my property."

"Good point. Your birthday's coming up soon." Artemis raised his eyebrows.

"You know as well as I do that my birthday is in September. The 1st, to be exact. Why are you thinking so far ahead?"

"You're going to be 18. We've been together for nearly a year, I know, but I want to give you something special, something that means a great thing to you. Especially after what you did for me." Artemis' eyes softened.

"I suppose just being together for that long is a good enough present for me. What would you like for your next birthday?" Alex grinned.

"Same thing as you." he leaned down to kiss Artemis. It was short, as Fowl pulled away, a questioning look on his face.

"When were you born, if we share the same age?"

"February 13th, 1989."

"Interesting. I was born September 1st, 1986, but after what happened in Limbo, I lost three years. That was how the twins came to be without my knowledge and how we are the same age, despite our different dates of birth."

"Art, stop thinking too much and kiss me."

"Fine, fine..." They resumed kissing. However, they broke apart again when Artemis had another question on his lips.

"Do you want a birthday party again?" That was not something Alex had expected.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you want a birthday party? I mean, the one I gave you was small, so do you wish to have a bigger one?"

"I had them with the Pleasures, but it just wasn't the same. And the one you gave me was wonderful, just as it was, but I suppose it would be nice to have a big one, but I don't want it to be too big. I want it to be small and simple, with just the closest of people." Artemis nodded.

"I see." he leaned into Alex, taking care not to crush either of their flowers. The elder put an arm around his waist and they sat there, watching as the sun slowly sank into a sunset and the stars appeared.

"...I've been able to talk with Orion again."

"Really now?" Artemis nodded.

"When I meditate, I can see him and talk with him. He's mellowed out a bit. He also admitted to what we suspected. He was my lifeline when I died."

"I thought he might. Even though it might be because you share a body, I think he really cares about you. I think he wants to be your big brother or a protector more than anything, just being there for you."

"At least he told me he hasn't and won't intrude upon our intimate moments." They both blushed, Artemis moreso than Alex.

"That's good." The stars shone brightly as the moon appeared. They both stared at it, transfixed.

"...So far, this has turned out to be the best St. Patrick's Day I've ever had." Artemis smiled and closed his eyes.

"Glad you like it." he said, feeling sleep try to claim him. Alex rubbed his side, helping him go to sleep, and spent the rest of the night looking up at the stars and moon.

* * *

When morning came again, many not-drunk fairies were taking their drunken pals back with them to Haven. All in all, there surprisingly wasn't much damage. Nothing had been broken, there was just food, drink, and confetti scattered about. Yassen also appeared on time with the twins, who began telling Butler (who had answered the door) about their adventure, Beckett moreso than Myles. By the time Butler looked up to wring Yassen's neck, the Russian was already gone. Good thing he had managed to slip a fairy tracking device onto the ex-assassin yesterday, so Artemis wouldn't need to be awoken by the news. Yassen Season, anyone?

Back in the garden, Juliet was taking pictures and giggling to herself. Alex had _finally_ fallen asleep and she was taking various pictures of the two sleeping on the bench together. Oh, this was going to be good when they woke up! Not to mention it had a lot of blackmail material, she would just need to learn how to use it. And after reconciling with Alex, Holly was able to start dating Trouble again. Maybe things would work out this time. And no one could find Mulch, so that was a bit of a worry, but at least Foaly hadn't gotten drunk. Caballine would have had his hide if he had.

And when Alex awoke, he would say that it had been the best St. Patrick's Day ever (again) and that he had made many new fairy friends, some more lousy than others, but friends nonetheless. And Artemis would find out that Alex would use his fairy contacts for some ill-gotten reasons and be proud of his lover for becoming a little evil, but still chiding him for doing something like that. One adventure down, several more to go.

* * *

 _ **Translations:**_

 **Tá a fhios agam. = I know.**

 **Cosúil le anois, mar shampla. = Like now, for example.**

 **Sídhe = As _Idiot Savant_ explains: "'Sidhe' in all of its muddled spellings was a mostly obscure term for the Fair Folk."**

 _ **And, as said above, this is a oneshot in a series. There will be more to this, including Alex's first birthday with Artemis, meeting the Fowls, Christmas, and more! As for what else happened in the snippet with Yassen, Myles, and Becket... I'll let you guess.**_

 _ **I will also give more warnings, as there WILL be a chapter where the two boys take their virginity. There are other ways to have sex that don't involve stealing virginity, you know, which was mentioned a few times above.**_

 _ **And this is an early gift for my birthday, which is tomorrow! ...This is based for St. Patrick's day, I know, but consider it both a birthday**_ **and** _ **St. Patrick's Day present!**_

 _ **Now please, read & review!**_


	2. Meeting the Fowls

Mine Forever More

By: Aubrie1234

* * *

 **WARNINGS: Slight cussing.**

* * *

Alex grimaced as he looked up at Artemis' home, a.k.a. Fowl Manor, a.k.a. the castle in disguise. It was even larger than Sayle's, if the blond remembered correctly. He was given a pat on the back from K-Unit, who were there to say goodbye. Fairies and the like had been explained to the men, so they were no longer on bad terms with Butler and were quite glad someone was going to keep an eye on the 'trouble magnet' for them.

"At least we won't have MI6 sending us after you anymore." Fox grinned, having been the one to pat Alex, "Not that we wouldn't mind, but just try to keep yourself out of trouble, okay?"

"This building is one of the most secure in the world." Artemis admonished, standing beside Butler and watching the goodbyes, "Only the LEP managed to penetrate it, and that was during the Siege. Alex will be fine here. If not, we can always go to Haven and hide."

"Oh no you don't!" Holly, who had also been there to greet K-Unit and (unfortunately) Alex, argued, "We don't have a space down there for you two to stay, you know, and Haven nor Atlantis are vacation places!"

"We weren't thinking of that, Captain."

"Of _course_ you weren't..." As Artemis and Holly started to fight, everyone else tuned them out.

"Yeah, but are you sure you can't stay for meeting Artemis' parents? I don't really want to go in there alone..."

"You've got Artemis, Holly, and Butler with you; what's there to be afraid of?" Snake asked. Alex gave him a look.

"With the Fowls, _everything_. They might not accept me, the parents might accept me but Juliet and the twins might not, there's just so much that could go wrong. Besides, you guys are the only people I know I can trust from my spy days besides Yassen, and he can't be here right now."

"Not as long as we're on his tail!" Eagle added. Alex rolled his eyes.

"My point is, going in there with Artemis just screams 'Hey, I found this guy, can I keep him?' and then his parents will be like, 'Can't wait to meet your parents, Alex!' and you know how that will go down!"

"Alex, everything will be _fine_." Wolf gruffly assured, "Now let go of my arm before I break one of yours!" It took quite a bit of pulling and pushing to get Alex away from K-Unit and to the front door, and when he was, Butler blocked his path so the other men could escape. Artemis rolled his eyes and took his lover's arm.

"Wolf was right, Alex. My parents will love you, honestly, because they'll be glad I finally got together with someone, even if it isn't Holly."

"And the others?" Artemis paused for a moment.

"...I'm not quite sure how the twins will react, but Juliet should love you. The problem is, she's going to love you for all the potential blackmail you can give her."

"I see..." the Brit deadpanned, not budging from the doorway. Artemis, being weaker, could pose no threat to the martial arts-trained Alex, so of course he called on Butler to help make the blond enter the manor. What happened next was something that would give Juliet the blackmail of a lifetime. Alex ducked under Butler's grab and fled between his legs, heading for the forest. Artemis followed, shouting for Alex to come back, with Butler not far behind. Then, of course, Artemis had to trip, causing Butler to decide to either stop or jump over him, going with the later, nearly hitting Alex as he doubled back to pick Artemis up bridal style and then continue back to the forest. All three males were then not seen for a large part of the day, only heard by crashing through the forest and Artemis' endless shouts of 'PUT ME DOWN, D*MNIT! I AM NOT YOUR PRINCESS, YOU F*CKED UP BRITON!' It was quite obvious Artemis was not happy to be carried in the way that he was, but as Alex had that peculiar mischievous streak of a young person in love, he didn't put the protesting heir down.

* * *

"Arty!" Angeline gasped as Timmy and the twins snickered, "Look at your clothes! And who is the poor young man beside you?" Butler, despite the chase, was still immaculately clean while Artemis were covered in dirt, twigs, and leaves. Artemis tried to save some of his dignity by straightening his tie while Holly shared the story to Juliet, who was also giggling, but was quickly stopped by Alex's glare.

"I am sorry, Mother, we would have been here sooner and cleaner if _someone_ -" he gave Alex a pointed glare, "-hadn't decided to play Hide-and-Seek in the forest. As for who he is, his name is Alex Rider, the one who saved me on my birthday lunch, as you may recall."

"Nice to meet you all." Alex nodded, smiling despite the anger Artemis had directed at him.

"First of all, thank you for saving Arty." Timmy said, "And second, besides introductions, may I ask why you are here?" A light blush dusted Alex's and Artemis' cheeks.

"Well-/You see-"

"They like each other!" Beckett said, breaking the awkward silence, "But how is Arty supposed to like another guy? I thought he liked Holly."

"I think I've heard of guys liking each other, but it's still strange." Myles added, plunging both men deeper into embarrassment. To save their skins, Juliet intervened.

"Why don't we go play for now, okay? Mommy and Daddy can tell you more about it later."

"Okay!" the boys quickly agreed and followed her, allowing Artemis and Alex to breathe sighs of relief.

"Thank God for short attention spans."

"You said it." Artemis nodded to Alex's words.

"...So..." The two froze when Angeline spoke, crossing her arms, "You two are in love, from what I'm guessing." Artemis gulped in fear, he and his lover beginning to sweat.

"Y-yes, Mother, we are."

"How did this happen?"

"Strange case of not-quite Stockholm Syndrome?" Alex supplied weakly, "A friend and I technically kidnapped him, but then he decided he wanted to come with us, so it wasn't kidnapping anymore, and then we went on this long adventure and-" Artemis jabbed him in the side.

"Stop talking before you dig us a bigger hole!" he hissed, though it was a bit too late. The raven-haired boy's parents were silent, staring at the two with unreadable expressions. And, much to their displeasure, Butler and Holly had also disappeared.

"Well then." Timmy spoke at last, after a long length of time, "I suppose this can only mean one thing." The younger men held their breath, "We give you two our blessing."

"...Huh?" It was perhaps the dumbest thing to come out of Artemis' mouth, but it made sense for what they both were feeling.

"Why, you two want to get married, of course!" Angeline smiled, causing them to flush red.

"NO!" Alex shook his head, "No, Arty just brought me here so I could live here and meet you!"

"We're not getting married!" Artemis squeaked.

"Either way, Alex, you are welcome here and to love Arty. Just try not to hurt him, or else we will sick both Butlers on you. Understood?" Despite the calmness it had been said with, Timmy's eyes were colder than Artemis' could be. Alex nodded hesitantly.

"Got it."

"Good boy! Now, are you any good at cooking?" Alex blinked as Artemis hid his face in his hands.

"Yes..?"

"Then Artemis won't have to worry about burning the kitchen down!" Said younger male wished someone would have shot him at that moment, as he was dying of embarrassment. Maybe it _wasn't_ such a good idea to introduce Alex to his parents...

* * *

"How do you manage to survive with these two?" Alex asked Angeline upon hearing that Timmy couldn't cook either. It was in the kitchen, away from the two 'Blue Bloods.'

"I can cook, but it's usually Butler or Juliet who does the cooking. Trust me, they've tried, but neither of them can even make a sandwich."

"...A sandwich." Angeline nodded.

"Arty told me of the time he tried making a sandwich for his dwarf friend. By the time he was done, food was scattered about the room. I'm afraid of what would happen if either of them decided to cook, with fire _or_ water."

"Point taken."

"...You're not going to make them anything, are you?"

"Should I?" Angeline smiled at Alex's response.

"No, but we can't just go back to them empty-handed-"

"I would." The woman smiled again at his muttered words but continued on as if she hadn't heard him.

"-so let's at least fix them small sandwiches so we have a good excuse for taking so long." Rolling his eyes and pulling up his sleeves, Alex saw no way out of this and decided to go with the flow. It didn't take long and soon he and Angeline joined Artemis and his father. The younger black-haired man raised an eyebrow at the blond, but Alex said nothing as he sat beside him, Artemis' parents doing the same to one another. Sharing a confused glance, Artemis and Timmy ate their sandwiches without another word.

* * *

"Faster!"

"I am, I am!"

"Beckett, go easy on Alex, please." Artemis was playing chess with Myles while Alex gave the blond twin a horseback ride around the playroom.

"Checkmate!" Glancing at the board, Artemis had to admit Myles was right. Though they didn't know the full details of the relationship, the twins were surprisingly supportive, especially since Alex was willing to play with them, unlike their older brother. Speaking of the spy, he soon came to a stop and put Beckett down, holding his chest.

"Are you alright?" Artemis stood to check on the blond.

"Fine." Alex nodded, taking a seat in the now-unoccupied chair, "Old wound aggravation is all."

"Did I hurt you?" The Brit smiled and shook his head at the boys' worried faces, Beckett more prominent than Myles.

"I'm fine, Beckett. It's just, a while back, I got hurt and when I exercise too much, it makes it hard for me to breathe."

"I'm sorry..."

"You did nothing wrong." Alex took the boy into his lap, "I'm still willing to play if you are." Beckett's face lit up again before he began speaking excitedly.

"Are you going to make your move?" Myles' words brought Artemis out of his stupor of staring at Alex. And yet, at looking into the younger's eyes, the raven-haired man knew Myles had many questions but tucked them away for later. He knew when to and not to disturb a situation, sort of like Artemis himself. It made the hunter feel both proud and sorry for his younger brother, in a way.

* * *

"You really did scare me, you know."

"I do." The lovers were sitting on the couch in the living room, alone. Alex's shirt was unbuttoned, only showing the bullet scar, which Artemis was running his hand over.

"So it hurts when you exert yourself?"

"Yep, but except for that, I don't really think of it much."

"Mmm..." Artemis leaned down to kiss the scar, "I wish there was something I could do." Alex shivered in pleasure at the whisper against his skin.

"I know, but it's fine. I've lived this long with it and can continue to do so."

"So you say." Artemis moved back to laying on Alex's shoulder, "What do you think of my family, of the manor?"

"..." Alex took a moment to think, making Artemis wonder if this truly was such a good idea, "...It's great. Everyone's been so human, so happy with me here, just like you." He planted a kiss in the younger's hair, "It's almost like I have a family again."

"You do. I will always stand behind you and K-Unit cares for you, as well as Yassen and my family. You had one before and you still do, you will always be loved and cherished." Artemis closed the hand on Alex's chest into a fist, "Unlike me." Alex put an arm around his lover.

"Don't think that. You mother has always loved you, Holly loves you, Butler loves you, and your father and brothers love you. You have been loved from the start, but because of your upbringing, you never thought you had. But if someone ever stops loving you, I won't." he used his free hand to tilt Artemis head and whispered against his lips, "I will always love you no matter what, Artemis." They then shared a kiss, soft and sweet. When they separated the raven-haired one smiled.

"And I will always love you, Alex." They cuddled together, Artemis' hand covering Alex's scar so no prying eyes could see, "I guess I'm also glad we have a chance to be together. My parents and your family have accepted us, so I hope we can take this farther."

"Not just yet, though. We have as much time as we want to get things started and going, so let's make the most of it." Slowly, the two fell asleep and stayed there until morning. The first to discover them were the twins, who wisely decided not to wake them but were curious at the mark on Alex's chest, Artemis' hand having fallen during the night. Thinking it was the old wound the blond man had mentioned, they felt sorry for him and left, not telling anyone else about it and managing to keep it a secret for a long time, longer than anyone expected, but that's another story for another time.

It was shortly after they had left that the lovers awoke, not knowing that one secret had been slightly revealed. Noting the provoking position they were in, they quickly got out of it and buttoned up Alex's shirt, blushing, before going to the bathroom. They had to wash up before the start of a new day and a new adventure, after all.

* * *

 _ **Another chapter! I'm surprised I managed to write this so quickly... Oh, and if you see any PotO references or songs, just let it be known I am on a PotO kick right now. Love the stuff, really...**_

 _ **Anyway, please read & review!**_


	3. Halloween

Mine Forever More

By: Aubrie1234

* * *

 **WARNINGS: Mentions of sex, slight cussing.**

* * *

Artemis shook his head as he watched Alex and the twins look around. Halloween was getting close and he was forced to take the twins to get costumes, Alex following and more willing to do it than he. It had been almost 2 months since they got together and Alex moved in, but they hadn't gone beyond kissing. Butler had also wanted to come along, if just to keep them out of trouble, but Juliet managed to convince him to have a day off.

"Arty and Alex are adults, Dom. Give 'em some space!" she had said, to which he reluctantly agreed. That led up to now, where, having been lost in his thoughts, Artemis had lost sight of Alex and his brothers. Turning a corner he found them, now trying on costumes. Myles was trying on a mummy costume, Beckett wearing a werewolf one, with Alex being normal, a bag in his hand.

 _He must have bought a costume already._ thought the Irishman as he rejoined them. He tried to peek into the bag but it was jerked out of sight by a mischievous Alex. Artemis raised an eyebrow.

"May I ask what you have in there?"

"It's a surprise." the taller man smirked, "Trust me, you're going to love it!"

"Last time you said that, which was barely a week ago, I found myself learning driving lessons from you." The blond waved him off.

"Not my best idea, but I'm certain on this one! At least we won't crash into your mother's fountain again. Yassen is still paying for the damages, thanks to you contacting him."

"He's still chewing me out over that, you know."

"Done!" The men turned to see the boys back in their regular clothing, holding their costumes happily. Alex and Artemis smiled, the elder rubbing their heads affectionately.

"Then let's buy these, go home, and show Mommy and Daddy."

"Yay!" Letting the two run ahead of them, the lovers walked together.

"I'm glad that no one's asked about my parents yet." Alex murmured, "And yet it also saddens me."

"Why?"

"It's almost like they assume I'm an orphan or something."

"They don't." Not one for public displays of affection, Artemis only held Alex's hand, "They're waiting for you to introduce them to your family. Though they're starting to get worried, just like you."

"I still wish I didn't have to explain..."

"Well, I know the story. Do want me to?" The Brit shook his head.

"No. It's my past, so it's my right to tell it. I'll tell them after they see Myles' and Beckett's costumes."

"Alright..."

* * *

As Halloween was in two days, they had plenty of time to get ready for various things. The night of the holiday was also when Fowl Manor would be hosting a ball for business partners. Juliet would be taking the twins out for Trick-or-Treating, leaving Alex and Artemis to stay behind and help host the party. It had been the raven-haired man's parents' idea, not his, so he didn't like it one bit. The Brit tried to cheer him up.

"You want to know what I bought for us, right?" Alex held the bag out in front of him like a lure, knowing Artemis wouldn't be able to resist, "If you cheer up, then I'll give you the night of your life on Halloween!"

"Mmm... And what does that entail?" Arty didn't like the look in his lover's eyes.

"I won't tell you until then. Deal?"

"...Deal. Now stop teasing me and let me work." The two were in Artemis' room, Alex having interrupted the younger's work.

"No." Putting the bag on the bed, the blond walked over and rested his hands on Artemis' shoulders. The shorter was sitting in a chair, working on his computer. Having turned back to it after accepting Alex's offer, Artemis ignored him. He felt one of Alex's hands lift from his shoulder, then something slid behind his ear. Stopping in surprise, he tugged the thing out to view it. It was an orange rose and, with a start, Artemis recognized it as one of the ones that had grown at the place he had died. Wrapped around it was a black ribbon with the red initials AR embroidered upon one end. Artemis had gotten a spool of ribbon, the very same wrapped around the rose, for Alex to use whenever he wished. Turning and opening his mouth, the hunter stopped, as the spy nor the bag was there.

"...What are you trying to say, Alex?" Artemis murmured as he fingered the rose in his hands. He knew the representation of roses, their colors and numbers. Orange meant energy, excitement, enthusiasm, and (dared he think it) desire. A single rose meant 'thank you' or represented the upmost devotion. It made Artemis wonder what Alex meant, with all the mixed messages the rose could give. And yet, the most important part of it was that it had come from Artemis himself. For some reason they had bloomed at the spot of his death and continued to grow there without need for care or anything, so why did Alex choose to pick one of these flowers, out of all the ones he could have used? Artemis sighed and laid it beside his computer. He would comtemplate it later, as he had more important things to do, as much as he hated it.

Much to his surprise (even though he was used to it by now), Artemis didn't see Alex for the rest of the day, not even at dinner. The Brit sometimes disappeared of his own accord for various periods of time, but always returned at the stroke of 11 P.M. It had been worrying at first, but after nearly 2 months of it, Artemis was mostly used to it. He didn't worry much anymore, but it did make him curious about where Alex went each time. Not even Butler could find the blond man when he hid, as astonishing as it sounded.

Tapping his fingers on the windowsill, Artemis waited for Alex to arrive. They had been sleeping together since their adventure and hadn't broken the tradition, so the black-haired man was staying up to wait for his lover. He checked his watch every few minutes as he waited, mind drifting to where Alex could be. And, as he had been keeping his eyes on the door to his room, he wasn't expecting the knock at his window. Jumping and falling off of his chair, Artemis quickly got to his feet to see a laughing Alex on the other side.

"D*mnit, don't do that!" the heir growled as he swung the window open, allowing Alex to come inside.

"For someone who prefers not to swear, you sure swear a lot." the elder snickered quietly. He rubbed his ear after it was clipped by Arty's fist, the genius still steaming, before being tugged forward (and nearly losing his balance) to be kissed. It was rough, brusing, and short, showing how much Artemis was displeased with him.

"Look, I'm sorry." Alex said softly after the kiss was broken, as if he was talking to a wild animal, "I didn't mean to scare you, but I couldn't have just come in through one of the doors. It's the time when Butler patrols, remember?" Ever since their adventure, Butler had made it a job to patrol the manor and grounds every night, just in case the Shadow Birds or someone else made another move, as they were still out there. The hunter softened at that.

"I'm sorry for getting angry at you. But why did you leave this?" the younger gestured to the rose, which was still on the desk.

"You'll find out in time, I promise." Alex tugged Artemis close, making them both blush, "But if there's something you don't want to do, you can always tell me and I won't do it. I'm always here for you, Art." Closing his eyes, the raven-haired man leaned into the blond's chest.

"Then tell me where you've been. It worries me when I don't know where you are."

"With the roses. It's where I always go when I want to be alone. I go out there and practice my magical abilities, since the magic field there helps me access them. But I went somewhere else before there, somewhere I can't tell you." Strings of jealousy tugged at Artemis' heart.

"Did you go with someone?" his voice was slightly cold.

"Of course not." Alex slid his hand through Artemis' hair to comfort him, "I would never forsake you, not even for Yassen; don't think I haven't seen those jealous glares. I want you and _only_ you. Nothing can change that." All was silent for a time before Artemis moved until they were face-to-face, lips brushing.

"Thank you." the porcelain man whispered before kissing Alex. It was soft, slow, and sweet, yet full of passion. Alex complied, kissing back. There was no tongue, only lips. They didn't want to go too far, with the emotional state they were in. When they finally needed air, they slowly broke apart, staring into each other's eyes.

"C'mon, Arty." the blond gave his forehead a kiss, "Let's get some sleep." Reluctantly, they parted ways to get undressed before rejoining in bed.

"Did you tell them? My parents about your's?"

"Yeah, but they understood. They promised to never ask again and keep it a secret."

"That's good." Artemis smiled when he felt Alex's chest vibrate as he began to hum softly. His lover did it sometimes to help him get to sleep when he couldn't, and it certainly worked. Soon enough, he was asleep, allowing the elder to follow.

* * *

When Artemis awoke, he found another ribbon-wrapped rose put into his hands, but Alex no where to be seen. He sat up and sniffed the flower, wondering where the other was. It was at that moment the door opened and Alex entered, the bag now in his hands. He was grinning, which Artemis knew meant he was in a mischievous mood.

"Glad you're up, Sleeping Beauty." Entering into the room, Artemis' eyebrows rose in surprise when he saw that Alex carried a bowl of caviar in his other hand.

"What's going on?" the heir knew the only reason Alex would fix him his favorite food would be to get in his good graces before telling him something bad.

"Nothing, just let me go get your Earl Gray."

"Now I'm very worried." Artemis still accepted the food and drink, though.

"About what? I haven't done anything!"

"In denial. This must be terrible."

"You mean I can't give you your favorite things without being suspected of doing something wrong?" Artemis took a sip of the tea before answering.

"Yes."

"What if it was all to keep you calm as I unveiled your Halloween costume?" Artemis sat frozen for a few seconds.

"...Please tell me you're joking." Alex put a hand into the bag.

"Nope." He took out of the bag a midnight blue dress. It had no sleeves but extended upwards to go around the neck, clips there to help keep the dress up. Just below the neck area was another orange rose, and as the dress went downward, it had slight frills, each one alternating between blue and orange. The frill also split in the middle, about knee-length. And as the color went downwards, it changed from blue to black and from orange to red. There were also orange, see-through silk sleeves that could be slid on and blue ballerina slippers with long ribbons that reached up and around the leg. Artemis gaped as Alex continued to grin.

"What do you think?"

"...No. No no no!" Artemis shook his head, "I am _not_ wearing _that_! _What_ were you _thinking_?!"

"Well, you did well to pose as a woman on our adventure, so why not again for Halloween? If you don't, I won't give you the night of your life tonight." The raven-haired man glared, but took the items.

"Give me a minute, and don't touch the caviar!"

"Why would I want to...?" Alex questioned in disgust of the food as Artemis left with the dress. He soon came back, still fuming, but Alex's eyes widened in wonder.

"Wow... I asked for it to be custom tailored, but I didn't know it would look _this_ good."

"I look ridiculous!" Artemis raged. The blond shook his head, standing and going over to stand beside his lover.

"No," Alex said, taking the younger's hands in his, "you look _amazing_. No matter what anyone else says, you look great. Will you do me the pleasure of wearing this for the rest of the day, love?"

"Don't go British on me, but I guess I'll try." With a smile, the blond leaned down to kiss the raven. Light and sweet, it lasted only a few seconds.

"As you are now wearing your outfit, I'll show you mine." Letting go of Artemis' hands, Alex grabbed the bag and raced to the bathroom. Still a little flustered, Artemis sat on his bed and began eating the rest of his caviar and drinking his tea. He nearly choked on the Earl Gray when Alex came back in. The spy was wearing a black suit, a black cape with a deep red velvet inside, and no tie, the suit loose enough for proper flexibility (unlike Artemis'...). He had on white gloves and a white mask that covered the right side of his face.

"Are you alright?" The Englishman stepped closer in case the Irishman needed help.

"The Phantom of the Opera?!" Artemis suddenly squeaked, "The 2004 version?! Why?!" As the only thing he was wearing underneath the dress was his boxers, he could easily feel them get tight at the sight of his outrageously good-looking lover. Seeing that the hunter wouldn't choke again for the time being, Alex looked down at his gloves, playing with the rims of his suit's sleeves.

"You know the story, and I thought it would look nice for Halloween. But you're not playing Christine, I can assure you. You're just playing a feminine version of yourself or doing some crossdressing." Artemis crossed his arms, but his eyes were soft.

"I can never stay mad at you, jackass." Standing again, he took Alex's hands into his own, "Assuming you've learned the movie's songs to go along with your costume, do you mind singing me one?" Alex smiled.

"Thank you, Arty, and sure." Clearing his throat, the blond began to sing, " _Masquerade! Paper faces on parade, masquerade!_ "

"That was only a single line."

"I still sung for you, didn't I?" Alex moved his hands to Artemis' waist, tugging the other closer. The black-haired man instantly blushed, but didn't move away. They stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity, but only a minute, before the taller grabbed the shorter's elbow and began escorting him to the dining room, where everyone else must have been by now.

"But the caviar-!"

"Butler will get it before it spoils. And why the bloody h*ll are you more worried about fish eggs than your pride?"

" _Exquisite_ fish eggs! And caviar is more than _just_ fish eggs!" Alex facepalmed the maskless part of his face as Artemis ranted about how great caviar was. How had he ever fallen in love with such a eccentric man? Oh, right, his sanity had flown out the window the same time he jumped out of it at the Royal & General. But at least Artemis wasn't actively on the run or trying to kill him.

* * *

Cackling had been present in the twins, Artemis Sr., Holly, and Juliet while Butler tried to keep a straight face and Angeline cooed at Artemis' and Alex's outfits. But that was nothing compared to when they had to greet the guests, who also had trouble keeping straight faces, even as Artemis glared at them and Alex shook their hands, nearly oblivious to his boyfriend's death glares. If looks could kill, all the guests and his family would have been pierced by a dozen badly-thrown knives by now.

"Who you like to-?"

"I am a _man_ and no, I would _not_ like to dance!" The few who were dumb or dense enough to see Artemis as a girl tried to flirt with him or get him on the dance floor, but they were either deterred by the hunter's glare, his words, or Alex's presence. As it was, the young man quickly scurried away from Artemis, who was drinking some more of his tea with Alex leaning against the wall beside him.

"Easy on the cup. Your knuckles are white." Alex pointed out. Artemis did so, though he wasn't much at ease. His eyes looked around the room, watching everyone dance, before going over to Alex. The blond certainly did look dashing, but as he looked closer, he noticed that the gloves were off. His eyebrows arched slightly as he caught sight of a thin line on the back of Alex's left hand, almost unnoticeable. He reached up and took it into his own, getting the other's attention. Looking down at what Artemis was doing, Alex gave a sad smile.

"Oh, that. You remember my adventure with McCain?" at Artemis' nod, he continued, "He had this biological facility and while I was there, I encountered this guy in a safety suit who tried to kill me. That was made when a web touched my hand as I fell during the fight. Everything there was poisonous, so I was lucky not to have died." Artemis tightened his grip.

"Put your gloves back on, please. The scar, it messes everything up." Raising an eyebrow, Alex did so, taking the gloves out of his pocket and pulling them on. It was then that _Open Arms_ came on, where the blond grinned, pushed off the wall, and bowed in front of Artemis, his hand out.

"May I have this dance?" Huffing, the raven took the blond's offered hand, placing his now empty tea cup in his chair before following Alex to the dance floor. A space cleared as others watched them dance, but they took no notice, so lost in one another and the soft sadness of the song.

 _ _Lying beside you,  
Here in the dark,  
Feeling your heartbeat with mine.  
Softly you whisper,  
You're so sincere,  
How could our love be so blind?  
We sailed on together,  
We drifted apart.  
And here you are,  
By my side.__

 _So now I come to you_  
 _With open arms._  
 _Nothing to hide,_  
 _Believe what I say._  
 _So here I am,_  
 _With open arms,_  
 _Hoping you'll see_  
 _What your love means to me,_  
 _Open arms..._

 _Living without you,_  
 _Living alone,_  
 _This empty house seems so cold._  
 _Wanting to hold you,_  
 _Wanting you near,_  
 _How much I wanted you home._

 _But now that you've come back,_  
 _Turned night into day,_  
 _I need you to stay._

 _So now I come to you_  
 _With open arms._  
 _Nothing to hide,_  
 _Believe what I say._  
 _So here I am,_  
 _With open arms,_  
 _Hoping you'll see_  
 _What your love means to me,_  
 _Open arms..._

"We'll be together forever, right?" Alex whispered, continuing to dance with Artemis as the song suspiciously began to replay, "We will, won't we?"

"Of course we will." Artemis assured with a smile, "You and I, forever. You promised me you wouldn't leave, so there is no way I would ever leave you." Alex smiled back.

"Thank you." Whistles could be heard as the two shared a kiss, and from the way they sounded, it seemed as though Timmy was teaching his younger sons wolf whistles, much to the embarrassment of Alex and Artemis. Once the song ended, they quickly made their way out of the room and to the kitchen, Alex leading the way. It was the only place the Brit could think of that no one would look, since he wanted this to be private.

"Why are we-" The hunter was cut off as the spy began to kiss him, though this time it was fiercer, more full of passion. Caught off-guard by the sudden display of affection, Artemis did nothing to stop it, only reacting when Alex's tongue began to enter his mouth. He kissed back, trying to gain dominance, but was unable to do so. His face flushed red as well when Alex pushed him up against the counter, one leg between his own. But all too soon they had to separated for air, both panting. And the look in Alex's eyes, the one Artemis saw... It could only be described as love.

"I know I might be moving a bit fast, but I promised to give you the night of your life." he said, smiling, "And what you said, about being together forever, I'm glad. That calmed my fears."

"Does this mean-?" Artemis' face grew even redder as the implications hit him. Alex blushed a little himself, but shook his head. Before he spoke again, he lifted the Irishman onto the counter so they could be face-to-face, at the same height as one another.

"No, not like that. I won't take your virginity, not unless you want me to. As it is, I thought we could just have different types of sex. Get to know one another a little better, but not all the way. You know what I mean, right?" the blond touched the flower on Artemis' dress, "That's what this meant. I'm willing to stay with you as long as you want and give myself to you at any time. I'm not eager, though, because I can wait. I'll wait until you're ready, even until the end of time. I promise." Artemis was silent, making Alex's face fall.

"I told you last night that you didn't have to do any of this if you didn't want to. It's fine with me. I would...I would even leave and never come back if you wanted." Tears were in Alex's eyes, "That's how much I love you, Artemis." His eyes widened as a hand graced his cheek, brushing the tears away with a familiar feathery touch. His mask was removed so Artemis could brush away the tears there.

"I never expected this to happen so soon, but I'm fine with it. And please, Alex, never leave. I wouldn't be able to stand it if you did." Artemis kissed Alex's cheeks where the tears had fallen, "I love you as much as you love me, but you need to give me time. I'm not as in tune with my emotions as you are."

"So is that a yes?" The younger nodded.

"Just not in here." Artemis rested a hand on the open neck of Alex's suit, "We wouldn't want any interruptions, would we?" Alex blushed deeply.

"And I thought _I_ was the horny one..." Artemis laughed softly, but squeaked when the Englishman took the smaller male into his arms. The mask was left behind on the counter as Alex carried him up the stairs, to Artemis' room. It seemed like the Phantom finally got his wish, in a way. He now had someone who was willing to go all the way for him at last.


End file.
